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Title: R-Area Reactor 1993 annual groundwater monitoring report

Abstract

Groundwater was sampled and analyzed during 1993 from wells monitoring the following locations in R Area: Well cluster P20 east of R Area (one well each in the water table and the McBean formation), the R-Area Acid/Caustic Basin (the four water-table wells of the RAC series), the R-Area Ash Basin/Coal Pile (one well of the RCP series in the Congaree formation and one in the water table), the R-Area Disassembly Basin (the three water-table wells of the RDB series), the R-Area Burning/Rubble Pits (the four water-table wells of the RRP series), and the R-Area Seepage Basins (numerous water-table wells in the RSA, RSB, RSC, RSD, RSE, and RSF series). Lead was the only constituent detected above its 50{mu}g/L standard in any but the seepage basin wells; it exceeded that level in one B well and in 23 of the seepage basin wells. Cadmium exceeded its drinking water standard (DWS) in 30 of the seepage basin wells, as did mercury in 10. Nitrate-nitrite was above DWS once each in two seepage basin wells. Tritium was above DWS in six seepage basin wells, as was gross alpha activity in 22. Nonvolatile beta exceeded its screening standard in 29 wells. Extensive radionuclide analysesmore » were requested during 1993 for the RCP series and most of the seepage basin wells. Strontium-90 in eight wells was the only specific radionuclide other than tritium detected above DWS; it appeared about one-half of the nonvolatile beta activity in those wells.« less

Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
10116025
Report Number(s):
WSRC-TR-94-0354
ON: DE95005539;
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-89SR18035
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Sep 1994
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GROUND WATER; MONITORING; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; HAZARDOUS MATERIALS; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; R REACTOR; LEAD; MERCURY; NITRATES; NITRITES; TRITIUM; CADMIUM; STRONTIUM; PROGRESS REPORT; COMPILED DATA; 540230; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT

Citation Formats

Not Available. R-Area Reactor 1993 annual groundwater monitoring report. United States: N. p., 1994. Web. doi:10.2172/10116025.
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Not Available. R-Area Reactor 1993 annual groundwater monitoring report. United States. doi:10.2172/10116025.
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Not Available. Thu . "R-Area Reactor 1993 annual groundwater monitoring report". United States. doi:10.2172/10116025. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10116025.
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@article{osti_10116025,
title = {R-Area Reactor 1993 annual groundwater monitoring report},
author = {Not Available},
abstractNote = {Groundwater was sampled and analyzed during 1993 from wells monitoring the following locations in R Area: Well cluster P20 east of R Area (one well each in the water table and the McBean formation), the R-Area Acid/Caustic Basin (the four water-table wells of the RAC series), the R-Area Ash Basin/Coal Pile (one well of the RCP series in the Congaree formation and one in the water table), the R-Area Disassembly Basin (the three water-table wells of the RDB series), the R-Area Burning/Rubble Pits (the four water-table wells of the RRP series), and the R-Area Seepage Basins (numerous water-table wells in the RSA, RSB, RSC, RSD, RSE, and RSF series). Lead was the only constituent detected above its 50{mu}g/L standard in any but the seepage basin wells; it exceeded that level in one B well and in 23 of the seepage basin wells. Cadmium exceeded its drinking water standard (DWS) in 30 of the seepage basin wells, as did mercury in 10. Nitrate-nitrite was above DWS once each in two seepage basin wells. Tritium was above DWS in six seepage basin wells, as was gross alpha activity in 22. Nonvolatile beta exceeded its screening standard in 29 wells. Extensive radionuclide analyses were requested during 1993 for the RCP series and most of the seepage basin wells. Strontium-90 in eight wells was the only specific radionuclide other than tritium detected above DWS; it appeared about one-half of the nonvolatile beta activity in those wells.},
doi = {10.2172/10116025},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994},
month = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994}
}
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Technical Report:
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DOI:  10.2172/10116025
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  • Groundwater was sampled and analyzed during 1993 from wells monitoring the water table at the following locations in P Area: well P 24A in the eastern section of P Area, the P-Area Acid/Caustic Basin, the P-Area Coal Pile Runoff Containment Basin, the P-Area Disassembly Basin, the P-Area Burning/Rubble Pit, and the P-Area Seepage Basins. During 1993, pH was above its alkaline standard in well P 24A. Specific conductance was above its standard in one well each from the PAC and PCB series. Lead exceeded its 50 {mu}g/L standard in one well of the PDB series during one quarter. Tetrachloroethylene andmore » trichloroethylene were detected above their final primary drinking water standards in one well of the PRP well series. Tritium was consistently above its DWS in the PDB and PSB series. Also during 1993, radium-228 exceeded the DWS for total radium in three wells of the PAC series and one well of the PCB series; total alpha-emitting radium exceeded the same standard in a different PCB well. These results are fairly consistent with those from previous years. Unlike results from past years, however, no halogenated volatiles other than trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene exceeded DWS in the PRP well series although gas chromatographic volatile organic analyses were performed throughout the year. Some of the regulated units in P Area appear to need additional monitoring by new wells because there are insufficient downgradient wells, sometimes because the original well network, installed prior to regulation, included sidegradient rather than downgradient wells. No monitoring wells had been installed through 1993 at one of the RCRA/CERCLA units named in the Federal Facilities Agreement, the Bingham Pump Outage Pits.« less

  • Groundwater was sampled and analyzed during 1993 from wells monitoring the water table at the following locations in L Area: the L-Area Acid/Caustic Basin (four LAC wells), L-Area Research Wells in the southern portion of the area (outside the fence; three LAW wells), the L-Area Oil and Chemical Basin (four LCO wells), the L-Area Disassembly Basin (two LDB wells), the L-Area Burning/Rubble Pit (four LRP wells), and the L-Area Seepage Basin (four LSB wells). During 1993, tetrachloroethylene was detected above its drinking water standard (DWS) in the LAC, LAW, LCO, and LDB well series. Lead exceeded its 50 {mu}g/L standardmore » in the LAW, LDB, and LRP series, and tritium was above its DWS in the LAW, LCO, and LSB series. Apparently anomalous elevated levels of the common laboratory contaminant bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate were reported during first quarter in one well each in the LAC series and LCO series, and during third quarter in a different LCO well. Extensive radionuclide analyses were performed during 1993 in the LAC, LAW, and LCO well series. No radionuclides other than tritium were reported above DWS or Flag 2 criteria.« less

  • During 1993, samples from well cluster P 26 and the TBG, TNX, XSB, and YSB well series at the TNX Area were analyzed for selected heavy metals, indicator parameters, radionuclides, volatile organic compounds, and other constituents. Seven parameters exceeded the final Primary Drinking Water Standards (PDWS). Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), a common laboratory contaminant, nitrate, and trichloroethylene exceeded PDWS most frequently. Four wells in this area currently are part of the Purge Water Contaminant Program due to high trichloroethylene concentrations. Carbon tetrachloride, gross alpha, lead, and tetrachloroethylene were elevated sporadically in one or more wells during the year. Groundwater flow directionsmore » and rates in the Unconfined Aquifer were similar from quarter to quarter during the year.« less

  • During fourth quarter 1993, samples from the KAC monitoring wells at the K-Area Acid/Caustic Basin were collected and analyzed for indicator parameters, groundwater quality parameters, parameters indicating suitability as drinking water, and other constituents. Monitoring results that exceeded the final Primary Drinking Water Standards (PDWS) or the Savannah River Site (SRS) flagging criteria or turbidity standard during the quarter are discussed in this report. Tritium exceeded its final PDWS in well KAC 7 during fourth quarter 1993. The tritium value reported by the laboratory was approximately fifty times the concentration of any previous sample from that well. The well wasmore » resampled and yielded a low, historically-consistent tritium concentration. Therefore, the high tritium value reported this quarter is believed to be the result of a laboratory error. Aluminum exceeded its Flag 2 criterion in wells KAC 6, 7, and 9. Iron exceeded the Flag 2 criterion in well KAC 6, and specific conductance exceeded the Flag 2 criterion in well KAC 9. Total organic halogens exceeded standards in wells KAC 4 and 6. No samples exceeded the SRS turbidity standard.« less

  • Samples from the four wells at the F-Area Sewage Sludge Application Site (FSS wells) and the three wells at the H-Area Sewage Sludge Application Site (HSS wells) are analyzed quarterly for constituents as required by South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Construction Permit 12,076 and, as requested, for other constituents as part of the Savannah River Site (SRS) Groundwater Monitoring Program. Annual analyses for other constituents, primarily metals, also are required by the permit. No constituent exceeded either the final Primary Drinking Water Standards or the SRS Flag 2 criteria during fourth quarter 1993. Iron, lead, and manganesemore » were the only permit- required analytes that exceeded standards at the F- and H-Area Sewage Sludge Application Sites in 1993. Tritium, aluminum, and other constituents not included in the permit have exceeded standards at this site previously, but only sporadically. These constituents were not analyzed fourth quarter 1993.« less